Modifying System-Defined User Interface Control Functionality on a Computing Device

1. An apparatus, comprising: a memory; and a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to: define a set of features of a programmer-defined control based on a set of features of a system-defined control, wherein: the set of features of the system-defined control including a property and a function associated with the system-defined control, the system-defined control providing a first functionality, and the programmer-defined control providing a second functionality that is an extension of the first functionality; wrap the system-defined control in the programmer-defined control such that the programmer-defined control uses the set of features of the system-defined control; associate the programmer-defined control with the system-defined control such that messages for the system-defined control are intercepted by the programmer-defined control and such that an edit to the set of features of the system-defined control is reflected in the set of features of the programmer-defined control; after the programmer-defined control is associated with the system-defined control, render on a user interface the programmer-defined control; receive, after the rendering and at run-time, a first message associated with a user interaction event on the user interface; when the user interaction event does not require the second functionality, send the first message to the system-defined control such that the system-defined control performs a first operation based on the user interaction event; and when the user interaction event requires the second functionality: determine whether the second functionality can be provided; and in response to determining that the second functionality can be provided: obtain information from the system-defined control; and perform a second operation to the information independent of the system-defined control.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to in response to determining that the second functionality cannot be provided, discard the first message.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the system-defined control is a ListView control for displaying a table; the programmer-defined control is configured to provide the second functionality of sorting contents of the table; and the processor is configured to render the programmer-defined control by displaying on the user interface a sortable table including the contents of the table.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: when the user interaction event is a mouse-up event, the processor is configured to determine that the mouse-up event requires the second functionality; and when the user interaction event is a text input event, the processor is configured to determine that the text input event does not require the second functionality.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to render a set of programmer-defined controls and a set of system-defined controls on the user interface in addition to rendering the programmer-defined control.

6. An apparatus, comprising: a memory; and a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to: define a set of features of a programmer-defined control based on a set of features of a system-defined control, wherein: the set of features of the system-defined control including a property and a function associated with the system-defined control, the system-defined control providing a first functionality, and the programmer-defined control providing a second functionality that is an extension of the first functionality; wrap the system-defined control in the programmer-defined control such that the programmer-defined control uses the set of features of the system-defined control; associate the programmer-defined control with the system-defined control such that messages for the system-defined control are intercepted by the programmer-defined control and such that an edit to the set of features of the system-defined control is reflected in the set of features of the programmer-defined control; after the programmer-defined control is associated with the system-defined control, render on a user interface the programmer-defined control; receive, after the rendering and at run-time, a first message associated with a user interaction event on the user interface; when the user interaction event does not require modifying the first message to implement the second functionality, send the first message to the system-defined control such that the system-defined control performs a first operation based on the user interaction event; and when the user interaction event requires modifying the first message to implement the second functionality: modify the first message based on the second functionality to produce a second message; and send the second message to the system-defined control such that the system-defined control performs a second operation based on the user interaction event, the second operation being different from the first operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein: the system-defined control is a ListView control for displaying a table; the programmer-defined control is configured to provide the second functionality of sorting contents of the table; and the processor is configured to render the programmer-defined control by displaying on the user interface a sortable table including the contents of the table.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second operation implements the second functionality.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second operation implements the second functionality that is different from the first functionality.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein: the processor is configured to, prior to the rendering, receive a request at the run-time for the system-defined control, and the processor is configured to render the programmer-defined control while not rendering the system-defined control in response to receiving the request.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when the user interaction event requires modifying the first message, perform a third operation based on the user interaction event and independent of the system-defined control.

12. A method, comprising: defining a set of features of a programmer-defined control based on a set of features of a system-defined control, wherein: the set of features of the system-defined control including a property and a function associated with the system-defined control, the system-defined control providing a first functionality, and the programmer-defined control providing a second functionality that is an extension of the first functionality; wrapping the system-defined control in the programmer-defined control such that the programmer-defined control uses the set of features of the system-defined control; associating the programmer-defined control with the system-defined control such that messages for the system-defined control are intercepted by the programmer-defined control and such that an edit to the set of features of the system-defined control is reflected in the set of features of the programmer-defined control; after the programmer-defined control is associated with the system-defined control, rendering, via a compute device and at run-time, the programmer-defined control on a user interface; intercepting, via the compute device and after the rendering, a first message associated with a user interaction event on the user interface; determining whether the user interaction event requires the second functionality; in response to determining that the user interaction event does not require the second functionality, sending the first message to the system-defined control such that the system-defined control performs a first operation based on the user interaction event; and in response to determining that the user interaction event requires the second functionality: discarding the first message; and performing a second operation independent of the system-defined control, the second operation being different from the first operation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein: the system-defined control is a ListView control for displaying a table; the programmer-defined control is configured to provide the second functionality of sorting contents of the table; and the rendering including displaying on the user interface a sortable table including the contents of the table.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the performing the second operation includes implementing the second functionality.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the performing the second operation includes implementing another functionality different from the first functionality of the system-defined control and the second functionality.